The day when "BANGLADESH" shocked the world .

Mohammad Ashraful 100 Vs “The Almighty Australians”.

The Build Up
2nd Match, NatWest Series at Cardiff, Jun 18 2005.

Australians were the obvious favorites to win the match and the only question was the margin of victory.
With the Golden era of the Australian team still intact with the likes of Gilly,Hayden,Ponting,Martyn,Clarke,Hussey and McGrath.
Symonds missed the match due to disciplinary hearing but even after that Bangladesh’s chances were next to none.
Bangladesh was just playing to fill the third spot of a Triangular series .

Australian Innings

To everyone’s surprise Bangladesh’s opening bowlers started off well by removing Ponting and Gilchrist leaving Australia at 9/2.
A rare bad outing for two of the greats in the Australian team but the Australian middle order was as dominant as the top order.
Aussies managed to score a respectable score of 249(respectable in *2005,now you can lose even to Zimbabwe after scoring this),thanks to a 77 from Martyn.

Bangladesh Innings

With Mcgrath leading the pace brigade for the Aussies it was a daunting task for Bangladesh to score these runs.
But the way Bangladeshis were batting looked like they were trying to give themselves a chance by playing 50 overs.
They did manage to keep wickets in tact but at the end of 21 overs they again dwindled for 72/3
In came a little man whose name nobody knew before this match but Believe me he is still the youngest to score a century in test match.He had the talent but it only required to be converted into performance.
And Boy O Boy!!!! he chose the right day for it.
I still remember the flamboyance of this pull-shot

The faster you bowl the farther it goes.
He along with Habibul Bashar maintained a crucial 4th wicket partnership for Bangladesh and kept them alive in the game.
Ponting surely was missing Symonds his fifth bowler as Clarke was going for plenty that day.
But, crucially, they didn't panic as the asking rate climbed to seven and a half an over: instead they calmly worked the singles and then made the most of the overs from Australia's change bowlers.
Brad Hogg was picked off for useful boundaries and Ashraful also took a liking to Michael Clarke's left-arm spin. Bangladesh entered the final 10 overs needing 73.
Ashraful's innings showed great composure and all the stroke play that had been talked about before the tour.
Habibul Bashar ran himself out and Bangladesh were 202/4 now.Victory would have looked easy but even from this stage a victory would be no short of a Miracle for Bangladesh.
Good news Ashraful still there.

He managed to take a single and reach his maiden ODI hundred and only the second Bangladesh’s player to do so in ODIs.
But he fell the next ball leaving his team at 227/5.
With 23 required off 17 balls,Ashraful left the field with respect from the Cardiff crowd.
Nonetheless a knock no one expected required a fairy tale ending but question was Who will do it today for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has converted a formality into a match today all thanks to this little man.

The Last Over

With only 7 required off last over chances were still 50–50.
First ball from Gillespie,and
BOOM!!! A SIX!! Aftab Ahmad has played the shot of his life,its out of here.
This is it for Aussies now,Bangladesh are on the brink of an iconic victory.
Next ball,he takes a single.
They won They won!!!!! Somebody Pinch me They have pulled off something impossible.

Ecstatic scenes all around.
AN ICONIC VICTORY FOR BANGLADESH which led the foundation for the team they are today.

And this ICONIC victory would never have been possible without the ICONIC KNOCK by the man himself.
Mohammad Ashraful

After this iconic victory Bangladesh added the word “POSSIBLE” to their cricketing dictionary and All thanks to the little boy Ashraful .

Runs and Puns